Policy Makers, AI Experts, Academic Leaders and 200+ Scholars to deliberate on MBA Education in Age of AI at 16th Indian Management Conclave (IMC) 2026 on Sept 18-19 at IIM Lucknow Noida

IMC 2026: Dates, Venue and Registration at a Glance
The table below captures the key details of IMC 2026 for quick reference:

IMC 2026 Theme: 'Management Education for Age of AI'
The theme of IMC 2026 - 'Management Education for Age of AI' - responds directly to the way Artificial Intelligence is reshaping business processes and the nature of managerial work. As AI moves from experimentation to enterprise-wide use, it is compressing the routine analytical work that once distinguished a strong MBA graduate, raising a pressing question for business schools: how should they prepare for the challenges, and leverage the opportunities, of the AI era?

Sharing the theme, Dr Amit Agnihotri, Founder and Chair, IMC 2026, said that Artificial Intelligence is reshaping business processes and the nature of managerial work, with studies showing AI moving from experimentation to enterprise-wide use and compressing the routine analytical work that once distinguished a strong MBA graduate. He added that as employers place a growing premium on judgement, critical thinking and leadership, business schools face many challenges related to student learning and assessment, faculty training and policy formulation. In this context, the 16th IMC 2026 has convened policy makers, academic leaders and global experts to deliberate on 'Management Education for Age of AI'.

Policy Makers and Top Academic Leaders to Address IMC 2026
IMC 2026 brings policy makers and top academic leaders together to deliberate on the future of management education for the Age of AI. Dr V. Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor, Government of India, will inaugurate the Conclave, and Mr Tarun Garg, Managing Director & CEO, Hyundai Motor India, will deliver the closing address, sharing how policy makers and businesses are preparing for the AI era. The line-up of IMC 2026 speakers also features leading AI experts and global voices, including deans from the University of Sydney and ESCP Business School, France.

Keynote Speakers

• Mr Vineet Nayar, Founder, Sampark Foundation; former CEO, HCL Technologies; author of 'Humans First, Machines Second'.
• Mr Raghav Gupta, Head of Education - India & Asia Pacific, OpenAI.

Distinguished Speakers

• Dr M. P. Gupta, Director, IIM Lucknow (Host)
• Dr Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Vice Chancellor, Ashoka University
• Dr Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR Mumbai
• Dr Arvind Sahay, Director, MDI Gurgaon
• Dr Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Former Vice Chancellor, IIFT
• Dr Suresh Ramanathan, CEO, IMI Delhi, Kolkata & Bhubaneswar
• Dr Madhu Veeraraghavan, Pro Vice Chancellor, Manipal University (MAHE)
• Dr Satyabhusan Dash, Dean, IIM Lucknow Noida Campus
• Dr Atish Chattopadhyay, Director, IMT Ghaziabad
• Prof Vishal Karungulam, Academic Director, ISB Hyderabad
• Dr Parag C. Kalkar, President, AIMS
• Dr Harivansh Chaturvedi, Director General, IILM, New Delhi
• Dr D. P. Goyal, Director and Dean, LM Thapar School of Management
• Dr Raman Ramachandran, Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai
• Dr Asit K. Barma, Director, BIM Tiruchirappalli
• Dr Raj Krishnan Shankar, Director, Great Lakes Gurgaon
• Dr Radhika Shrivastava, President, FIIB New Delhi
• Mr Dviwesh Mehta, Director, Asia Pacific, Harvard Business Impact
• Mr Salil Pande, Founder & CEO, VMOCK
• Mr Sumit Harjani, Managing Director India & Region Head - APAC Enterprise, Harvard Business Impact
• Dr Nihar Amoncar, Pro Vice Chancellor, IILM University Greater Noida

IMC Research Conference Track Chairs

• Dr Arpan Kar, Endowed Chair Professor, DMS & School of AI, IIT Delhi.
• Dr Praveen Ranjan Srivastava, Dean Research, IIM Rohtak.
• Dr Debasis Pradhan, Editor, Management and Labour Studies, Journal of XLRI Jamshedpur; Director, TAPMI Manipal
• Dr Rajesh K Singh, Professor & Chairperson GP Admissions, MDI Gurgaon.  
• Dr Sachin Kumar Mangla, Dean (Research, Publications & Projects), FORE School of Management, Delhi

Global Experts (Virtual)

• Dr Stewart Clegg, Management Thinker, University of Sydney
• Dr Dirk Holtbrugge, Dean, FAU, Germany
• Dr Louis David Benyayer, Dean, ESCP Business School, France
• Dr Michelle Sisto, Head EDHEC AI Centre, France

(Partial speaker list. Many more distinguished speakers to address the Conclave.)

IMC 2026 Highlights: Panels, Awards and Master Class
The two-day conclave will witness several high-powered panels and initiatives. Key highlights of IMC 2026 include:

• Keynote Addresses by leading policymakers, business leaders and CXOs on the future of management in the AI era.
• Plenary Sessions on reimagining student learning, curriculum design and pedagogy for an AI-enabled world.
• IMC International Research Conference (IMC-IRC) 2026 - South Asia's only conference dedicated to research in management education.
• IMC Awards 2026 Presentation by leading B-schools on 'Leveraging AI for Curriculum and Pedagogical Innovation'.
• Director's Roundtable on 'Institutional Governance and Policy Responses for the AI Era'.
• Master Class by OpenAI on 'From Possibility to Practice: Building the AI-Native Business School with ChatGPT'.

IMC International Research Conference (IMC-IRC) 2026 to Host Top Deans and 100+ Scholars
A key highlight of IMC 2026 is the IMC International Research Conference (IMC-IRC) 2026, South Asia's only conference dedicated to research in management education. The IMC-IRC 2026 will witness more than 100 paper presentations from scholars drawn from all parts of India, with the track chairs among the foremost research leaders in the country.

The confirmed IMC-IRC 2026 track chairs include Dr Anjali Bansal, Assistant Professor, IIM Lucknow, Dr G Venkat Raman, Professor, IIM Indore, Dr Neerja Pande, Professor, IIM Lucknow, Dr Pragya Gupta, Professor of Management (Area Chair HR & OB), Jaipuria Institute of Management Noida, Dr Prakash Singh, Associate Professor, IIM Lucknow, Dr Rajnish Kumar Misra, Dean, Jaypee Business School, JIIT University Noida (All names in alphabeticla order.)

IMC 2026 Conclave Partners and Sponsors
The 16th IMC 2026 conclave partners and sponsors are leading B-schools and knowledge organisations. Listed in alphabetical order, they are: BIM Tiruchirappalli; FIIB New Delhi; Harvard Business Impact; IILM New Delhi; IMI Delhi; JAGSoM Bangalore; K J Somaiya Institute of Management Mumbai; LM Thapar School of Management; SDMIMD Mysuru; TAPMI Manipal; VMOCK.

IMC 2026 is supported by many other organizations in different capacities. 
In closing, Indian Management Conclave 2026 will convene policy makers, academic leaders and 200-plus scholars at the IIM Lucknow Noida campus on September 18-19, 2026 to deliberate on 'Management Education for Age of AI'. With more than 250 academic leaders and scholars set to attend and registrations now closed, the 16th IMC 2026 promises to be a landmark event on the future of management education in the Age of AI. 

IMC 2026 Registrations are now closed. Stay tuned to MBAUniverse.com for more highlights and updates from IMC 2026.